Plain English Breakdown
The effective date is not listed in the provided source material.
Renaming and Pay Guidance for Direct Support Professionals
This law renames 'direct service professionals' to 'direct support professionals,' defines who fits this role, and requires the state department to create billing rules for extra pay linked to training if funds are approved.
What This Bill Does
- Changes the job title from direct service professional to direct support professional.
- Defines a direct support professional as someone paid to help children or adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities, employed by a provider receiving regional center funding, and spending at least 50% of their time on these tasks.
- Requires the Department of Developmental Services to create billing guidance for pay differences tied to training if funds are approved in the annual Budget Act.
- Sets a deadline of April 1, 2027, for creating this billing guidance.
Who It Names or Affects
- Workers who provide direct support to children or adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
- Service providers that receive funding from regional centers.
- The State Department of Developmental Services.
Terms To Know
- Direct Support Professional
- A paid worker who helps children or adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities, works for a provider receiving regional center funding, and spends at least half their work time on these tasks.
- Regional Center Funding
- Money given by the state to organizations that provide services for people with developmental disabilities through contracts required by existing law.
- Pay Differential Compensation
- Extra pay linked to specific training requirements, which requires new billing guidance from the department.
Limits and Unknowns
- The requirement to create billing guidance only happens if money is included in the annual Budget Act.
- The bill mentions making various technical and conforming changes but does not list what those specific changes are.
- The official text provided does not state when the law officially takes effect.